


Divertissements: A Drabble Collection

by orphan_account



Category: Princess Tutu
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Crossover, Drabble Collection, Drabbles, F/F, F/M, Gen, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-08
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2017-12-04 15:43:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 108
Words: 12,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/712376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An ongoing collection of Princess Tutu drabbles. Includes canon, AU (including the Enchanted Worlds AU), and crossover pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Far From Home (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for opalescentegg on tumblr, for the prompt "Fakir and Ahiru leave Gold Crown to go on vacation".

They attract attention wherever they go; Ahiru’s energetic personality being what it is, they can’t help it. To onlookers, they’re “that cute little German couple” who might seem an odd fit at first glance, but clearly adore each other.

They’ve been in England for a few days already, and are now on a train to Bristol to meet a possible Spinner. Ahiru watches the countryside speed past for a while, then sits beside Fakir, leaning her head against his shoulder. He responds by taking her hand, twining his fingers around hers, and they sit in contentment until the train stops.


	2. Delusions of Grandeur (Hermia, Femio)

Usually she can see him coming in time to get away – he isn’t exactly inconspicuous – but not today. Today he manages to surprise her, springing into a ridiculous pose as he asks if she has any letters for him. It’s no shock that he’s heard of her, and even less of one that he goes into an overwrought spiel about his sins and how burdened with confessions she must be. Hermia is grateful that her mask conceals her glazed expression.

When she admits that she has no letters for him, she barely has time to escape before the bull strikes.


	3. Things Unexpected (Ahiru)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for friendlybrarian on tumblr, for the prompt "Ahiru muses a bit on her evolution of feelings from her devotion to/adoration of Mytho and distrust of Fakir to her current relationships with both".

She could’ve had a prince, a castle, a fairy tale. It might’ve made her happy. But by the time he could’ve offered them, her needs had changed, though she scarcely knew it then. Instead, she has a writer, a house, a lake, reality. She cherishes every day.

She never expected any of this to happen as it did, for him to be the one who promised her forever. She never expected to be offered that at all, from anyone, or to be so happy in the end that it came from him. Somehow, that makes the joy all the sweeter.


	4. Happy Chance (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for quetzalpapalotl on tumblr, for the prompt "Ahiru and Fakir eating lunch at the Academy and being adorkable".

Lately he usually walks home for lunch, but today, on impulse, he chose to eat at the Academy. She joined him this time; and at first they argued about it, because they misunderstood each other, but she ended up staying. She rambled, and he listened, and he didn’t talk much, but he was secretly happy to have her there, even if he didn’t tell her so.

She didn’t tell him that she’d noticed his absences of late, or that she was happy he was there today. And neither one told themselves the real reasons why they should feel such things.


	5. Performance (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for opalescentegg on tumblr, for the prompt "Their first post-Story performance together".

The whole class is shocked when Fakir picks Ahiru as his partner; no one understands why the best danseur would choose the worst student (never mind that she _is_ improving). Some even risk his familiar glare and giggle behind their hands, and her face flushes and falls. But he gently squeezes her hand for reassurance, and her nerves calm.

The dance they do is nothing like their first one, or even like their second one, in that damnable lake. It has a magic all its own, and by the time they are finished not a single person doubts his choice.


	6. Hidden Treasures (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt " Ahiru discovers a (clearly well-loved) duck plushie in Fakir's room just as he walks in."

While Fakir’s in the shower, Ahiru takes a moment to poke around his room a bit. It’s in the back of the wardrobe that she finds it: an old, slightly battered stuffed animal. Not just any animal, but a duck. It’s clearly seen better days, and its yellow color isn’t as bright as it once was, but she can tell it was loved dearly by the child it belonged to.

That child is now grown up, and walking back into his room to see her holding it and smiling fondly. It’s anyone’s guess as to which of them turns redder.


	7. Gifts from the Heart (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for opalescentegg on tumblr, for the prompt "Birthday gifts".

Fakir works for the better part of a month on her birthday gift, writing stories and poems in secret that no one else will see, and taking them to the book binder when he’s done. The look on her face when she opens it makes every sleepless night worth it.

Ahiru spends the better part of a month searching the shops in secret for the right book to give him, and constructing a special bookmark to go with it. It doesn’t come out quite the way she wanted it to, but to him it’s beautiful, and he tells her so.


	8. Snow Day (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt "A snowball fight! Or just general playing in the snow together".

He hasn’t played in the snow since he was tiny, and feels silly doing it now, but she’s never even seen it, so for her he does. Reluctantly, at first, but she gradually loosens him up, convincing him to build strange creatures out of the snow and then pelting him with a glob of it before running off in giggles.

A few volleys later, she’s the one giving chase, and then before they know it she’s tackled him to the ground. They’re no longer laughing, though, and it feels rather more like a summer day somehow when their lips meet.


	9. First Impressions (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A drabble duo, written for the prompt "Ahiru's first impression of Fakir, and vice versa", for Mark Watches commenter MoElskerDeg.

Who did he think he was, anyway? Ahiru couldn’t help fuming as she thought again about the jerk who’d insulted her, and then later slammed the door in her face when all she wanted was to apologize to Mytho. What gave him the right to treat anyone like that? Pike and Lilie seemed to think he was handsome and mysterious, and while she’d grudgingly give them that he wasn’t ugly, that didn’t excuse being so awful. There was no way they knew what he was really like.

She didn’t like him at all, and she didn’t see that changing, ever.

\---

Who did she think she was, anyway? Fakir shook his head and shut the door. Just a pesky little nuisance trying to butt in where she didn’t belong. He couldn’t recall seeing her around the school before. Well, he’d certainly remember her now – true, she was just another novice student obsessed with Mytho, but her pushy attitude made her stand out. She might be someone to keep an eye on, if only for Mytho’s sake, so he didn’t keep treating her like another injured bird to rescue.

He didn’t like her at all, and he didn’t see that ever changing.


	10. Everything Feels So Different Now (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A drabble duo that acts as a companion piece to "First Impressions".

He isn’t who she’d thought he was.

Ahiru can’t help smiling as she reflects on the person who’s sworn to stay by her side forever. Everything has changed so much since they first met that even now she still marvels at it all. They’ve learned so much, grown so much, changed so much. And now she can’t imagine her life without him. He seems almost like a completely different person, but she feels that somehow, the potential for this was always within him. She knows now what he’s really like.

She loves him, and she doesn’t see that changing, ever.

\---

She isn’t who he’d thought she was.

Fakir smiles at the little duck beside him. Over and over, she’d surprised him – by being Princess Tutu, by being a duck, by being as wonderful and kind and strong as she truly is. He wouldn’t be who he is today if he’d never met her, and there’s no way to repay that. Yet he knows that she’d tell him he doesn’t need to, or he already has, if he said this to her. It’s part of what makes her who she is.

He loves her, and he doesn’t see that ever changing.


	11. Faltering (Rue)

She just has to repeat it over and over until she believes again – it’s no different from ballet training, after all, where you teach your body to remember, via repetition. Or memorizing facts for a test at the Academy. No different at all.

She really is the Raven’s daughter.

Princess Tutu is an enemy.

Rue was never real.

She’s a good daughter.

Her prince will love her.

Her father loves her.

She’s only done what she was supposed to do.

If she believes, everything will work out in the end.

But instead of certainty, her body only responds with tears.


	12. Hearts Made Whole (Mytho, Rue)

It has always been her, all along.

The heart shards had memories of their solitude; and in the fleeting moment of all the missing pieces being joined as one at last, they shared them with him. He saw glimpses of how some of the fragments of himself, even when scattered, were still drawn to her, and he knew with even greater conviction that he had made the right choice.

When they’re alone, he tells her this, and smiles. She cries, and smiles, and it feels like a step towards healing her heart. Nothing is more important to him than that.


	13. Haunted Houses (Pike)

It itches.

Pike’s heard people talk about phantom limbs, but what about phantom memories? She could swear sometimes that there’s something missing, something she’s forgetting, but she’s never sure what. She’s seen Lilie have those moments too, but they’ve never brought it up. Maybe they’re scared to. Strange, since they both love ghost stories. But perhaps whatever – whoever – is haunting them is too personal to discuss.

In the unreal hours of the early morning, when the whole world feels silent and still, she almost remembers. A name. A face. A voice. So close. But always too far away to touch.


	14. Tales (Uzura)

Uzura likes Fakir’s stories.

They don’t all make sense, even when she interrupts to ask something and he explains, but she likes listening to him anyway. He’s good at it; he tells her about all sorts of people, and things that’ve happened. His very favorite person to talk about is that duck who’s a girl – or is it a girl who’s a duck? He doesn’t say she’s his favorite, but she can tell. He talks about her the most and his face looks different when he does. It makes her curious.

Today, she decides, she’s finally going to meet her.


	15. Missing (Fakir)

It’s quieter without Uzura around. Fakir isn’t quite used to it – he sometimes still jolts awake, expecting to hear her drumming. He almost misses it, but that’s because he misses her presence. He never expected to have a younger sibling, not with his parents dead and Karon unlikely to marry, but then she came along. She wormed her way into his heart without him realizing just how much until she suddenly wasn’t there anymore. He still kind of expects her to walk in any minute and ask him a weird question.

No, not expects. That’s the wrong word.

He hopes.


	16. The Unsung Tragedy (Femio)

How tragic, to be so beautiful.

Femio knows all too well the sting of the curse he labors under. It haunts his every waking hour, and even sometimes his dreams. He sees the maidens flee before his approach, and knows deep within his tortured heart that it is because of his weakness. Even his ever-present rose petals cannot mask the stench of such sinfulness. He weeps in his soul for his burden and the pain he causes these girls.

One day. One day, he will overcome this, and all shall rejoice with him. Until then he must continue to repent.


	17. Distances (Uzura)

She still goes back and watches them sometimes, though Drosselmeyer doesn’t know. Her part in their story is over, but her feelings for them aren’t, so she wants to be sure they’re doing all right in their new lives. She wonders if they miss her as much as she misses them. She enjoys seeing new stories, but it’s not the same as being with the two of them.

It doesn’t happen for a while, but eventually, Uzura hears Fakir confirm it aloud, and sees Ahiru nod and quack sadly in response. 

The tears beat down on her drum like raindrops.


	18. Intangibles (Lilie)

Something isn’t the same lately, and she can’t put her finger on what. It shouldn’t feel like anything’s changed, but it does; things seem quieter somehow. That’s distressing in itself, because she loves drama so very much, but… when she thinks about it too hard, there’s a pang to it. Like there are people missing in her life that were there before. She finds herself trailing off sometimes or staring into empty spaces, and she wishes she knew why.

For the first time in her life, Lilie feels lonely. She tries to hide it, but it’s there, and it stings.


	19. Traces (Malen)

Usually Malen prefers to use models for her work, but lately the teacher’s been assigning the class to do original portraits that draw only on their imaginations, as a way to challenge them. She’s had mixed results so far, but there’s one she’s really proud of. It’s of a beautiful young ballerina, with wavy dark hair, and eyes that look almost red, perhaps because of her dance costume. She usually has trouble with imaginary faces, but this one came to her so easily, as if she’d dreamed her up or something.

Perhaps she did. Stranger things have happened, after all.


	20. Duty and Honor (Montand, Femio)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A drabble written for the prompt "What is going through Femio's servant's mind during... well, any scenario involving Femio being his grandly attractive self?", for Mark Watches commenter MoElskerDeg.

Montand serves Femio not for the money, not out of duty, but out of devotion. He’s proud to stand at the side of his young master as he embarks on his never-ending quest to rid himself of the burden of his sins. It’s a lonely road, and long, but he will do what he can to help him. Sometimes it feels like he’s not doing enough, but then he reminds himself that Master Femio needs him, and that every service, no matter how small, is essential to his journey. Together, they soldier on towards the glorious day of his redemption.


	21. Hope (Fakir, Ahiru)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for cjwritergal on tumblr, for the prompt "Fakir/Ahiru, maybe with Mytho and Rue if you can fit it in. "Ducks don't live as long as humans."

He’s read every book on ducks he can find, and none of what he’s read bodes well for their future. The numbers on the page are simultaneously impassive and cruel. It makes him feel physically ill to think about.

Still, there are signs that they may not apply to her, for whatever reason. She still hasn’t molted yet, and the books say nothing about ducks that can read or think or dance ballet. She’s still very much herself, just small and downy, and she’s shown no signs of changing.

So he puts the books away, and watches her, and hopes.


	22. Strange New Habits (Charon)

Charon had been worrying about his son’s eating habits. Fakir had always had his preferences, like anyone else, but even as a small child had never been what anyone would call a picky eater. Lately, though, he’d begun refusing all poultry, and even eggs, and when questioned was evasive and stubborn even for him. It didn’t make any sense at all why he’d suddenly started turning down even dishes he’d loved until recently.

And then he’d brought home an injured duckling, and told him her story, and that she’d be living with them now, and that had explained everything.


	23. Haunting Melody (Autor)

She’s long gone, but his memories of her remain.

He cannot speak of her to most, however, so he translates his feelings into song. Many sleepless nights are spent composing the piece that will be dedicated to her. No, not just dedicated – it is meant to capture her essence, to be about her.

When he performs it at last, there isn’t a dry eye in the room. He’s praised for the raw emotion of the piece, the haunting quality it has. He smiles, preens, and demurs when asked what inspired him.

He never tells them.

_It’s because she haunts me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt "Autor writes piano music about Rue".


	24. Old Habits (Rue, Mytho)

It’s getting to be a problem.

When they’re alone in their bedroom, she doesn’t mind this odd quirk of his. But when she has to watch to make sure he doesn’t stroll into the halls or onto the balcony like this, well… she begins to understand some of why Fakir was always in a bad mood, if this was what he had to deal with all the time.

“My prince…?”

He turns. “Rue?”

“Er… you’re…”

“Oh. Sorry.”

As she watches him finish dressing, Rue sighs and, not for the first time, wonders if Ahiru missed a heart shard after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for reisempai on tumblr, for the prompt "Can you write something post-canon with Mytho and Rue about his tendency to not wear pants?"


	25. Victories (Femio, Lilie)

It’s an unusual campaign, to be sure – how many candidates ride a _bull_ around campus? But it _is_ a good way of getting the vote out.

No one is more surprised than Lilie when he actually wins. She expected to be able to comfort him after his _tragic_ loss, and even figured it would be a landslide against him. Yet somehow, he achieved victory. It’s almost disappointing.

Until, of course, he starts talking about how sinful it is that his beauty will distract the other council members and prevent anything from getting done. That’s more familiar – and more pleasing – territory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr for the prompt "Femio campaigns for a student election (possibly with Lilie's help)".


	26. Dinner Date (Fakir, Ahiru)

Did it really count as a candlelit dinner if the candles were flameless? It wasn’t traditional, but it was safer, considering Ahiru’s clumsiness. And the effect was no less romantic in the end, so it didn’t matter if there weren’t actual flames. The most important thing was each other’s company.

After they finished and cleared away their plates, they kissed in the dim light before he carried her up to their bed. The brighter light of the lamp took some adjusting to, but was easily accepted when he told her she was too beautiful to be hidden by the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr for the prompt "Fakiru, romantic candlelit dinner".


	27. Safe and Secure (Ahiru, Fakir)

She didn’t wake up when he was talking to Autor. But somewhere between Drosselmeyer’s grave and his house, she stirred in his arms, and opened her eyes a little. Just enough to take in where she was and who was holding her.

Ahiru’s reaction once the information sank in was immediate: she snuggled closer to him and fell back asleep in seconds. She was warm and comfortable, after all, and knew she was safe with him.

If she’d had the energy or desire to stay awake, she would’ve seen that Fakir was blushing the rest of the way back home.


	28. Spellbound (Ahiru, Fakir)

He can see right through the simpler tricks, and even some of the slightly more complex ones. It’s not the most enthralling show, but hey, it’s free, part of their admission to the fair, so he can’t complain.

Not that he would - Ahiru’s so entranced by it, her face lit up with childlike wonder and her tiny hands clasped under her chin, that he doesn’t even consider voicing his thoughts. He couldn’t bear to ruin it for her. So he watches her instead of the show, taking joy in her delight. She’s always much more fun to gaze at, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt "Fakir and Ahiru go to a magic show".


	29. Reaching Out (Rue)

Making friends is still a new thing for her; she hasn’t gotten used to it, and doesn’t really know what she’s doing. But she shoves away the inner voices whispering hateful things, and summons up the memories of Ahiru’s clumsy but heartfelt efforts, and she _tries._

It works. Bit by bit, she manages to make one new friend in the royal court. And then another. They become dear to her in time, and she spends many happy hours with them.

But she never forgets her first friend, nor does she stop wishing she could tell her about these new ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for moelskerdeg on tumblr, for the prompt "Rue making a new friend in the story!".


	30. Adjustments (Charon)

Life was strange.

It’d seen fit to give him a son he hadn’t expected. And then another, one that few others remembered now (he had to be careful about that these days). And now a daughter who’d once been a duck.

Each new change to his household had taken adjusting to, but he was happy, particularly because his charges were. Fakir hadn’t always been so happy, but having Ahiru around had effected so many positive changes in him, and Ahiru clearly adored him in return.

He’d thus concluded that sometimes, the most unexpected things in life are the best ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for opalescentegg on tumblr, for the prompt "Charon adjusts to having a son".


	31. Past, Present, Future (Ahiru, Fakir)

When people hear how they first met, often the next question is whether it was love at first sight. His answer is always the same: he doesn’t believe in love at first sight, it’s things in common and mutual respect and work put in that makes love last.

But Ahiru can tell it bothers Fakir, because it reminds him that his first reaction to her was anything but loving. So she takes his hand and squeezes it, giving him her own reminder: they’ve moved beyond the past, and it’s the future that matters. A future full of their present love.


	32. Habits (Ahiru, Fakir)

They have little quirks that other people start to notice. For example, they always sit on the same side of a booth or table when they go out to eat, because they like being close to each other (if asked, he’ll say that he prefers being by her side). On train trips he always lets her have the window seat, and watches her enjoy the view. And if you want to anger one of them, insult the other.

People on the outside don’t always understand how they work. But they can see how in love they are, and that’s enough.


	33. Picnic by the Sea (Ahiru, Fakir)

Fakir complains about sand getting in their food, but Ahiru says she doesn’t mind, because it’s so much fun being here with him and seeing the ocean for the first time. He smiles at that, and voices his agreement.

She’s impatient to go swimming again right after they eat, but he knows you’re not supposed to, so instead he suggests building a sand castle together. It’s a bit childish, but it makes her happy, and that’s what matters most.

While she naps on the train home, he entertains himself by trying to figure out if she has any new freckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt "fluffy Fakiru picnic date".


	34. Common Ground (Rue)

She finds it wandering around the castle grounds; it mewls incessantly and no one can tell her where it came from. At last, she decides to take it in herself. Some of the nobles sniff at her and tell her to just drown the “beast” but she glares icily at them and refuses.

Rue knows how it feels to be alone, to feel abandoned, lost, unloved. She understands. It might seem strange for a Crow Princess to care for a kitten, but then, she was never really a bird. So she gives it all the love she has to give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt "Rue adopts an abandoned kitten".


	35. Cruel Words (Fakir, Ahiru)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enchanted Worlds drabble. Fakir's POV during chapter five of A Kind of Magic, written by request for moelskerdeg on tumblr.

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. What an idiotic thing to say – as if she needed magic to be pretty. His face grew warm at that line of thought, though, and he turned away so she wouldn’t see.

Her words troubled him even beyond his growing attraction to her, however, because the way she spoke about herself in general suggested that she’d internalized someone else’s cruelty. He didn’t know her well yet, admittedly, but it nevertheless gave him that uncomfortable feeling. He only wished he knew how to ask her, so maybe some of the damage could be undone.


	36. East, West (Ahiru, Fakir)

And just like that, he was gone.  
  
Ahiru blinked back tears she refused to let fall, for fear they would freeze on her cheeks in the cold. She’d ruined it. She’d ruined everything. If only she hadn’t listened to Pike and Lilie, if only she hadn’t betrayed Fakir’s trust like that, things would be okay. It would only have been one more day, and then everything would be fine. But now, now - !  
  
 _… no. Stop._ She shook her head. All wasn’t lost just yet – he’d told her where to find him, clearly trusting her to come for him. She didn’t think she deserved his trust after what she’d done, but she owed it to him to make herself worthy by at least trying. She couldn’t let this happen to him. She loved him too much for that.  
  
A faint light of hope glimmered within her as she got up and starting walking, the winds howling around her. She didn’t know how she’d find the palace he’d spoken of, but she would. She would go, and she would find him, and bring him home with her. No matter what, she _would_ get there.  
  
As she’d promised him before he vanished, she would go east of the sun and west of the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for opalescentegg on tumblr, for the prompt "something based on a fairy tale of your choosing".


	37. Sacrifices (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enchanted Worlds drabble, undecided canonicity; written for opalescentegg on tumblr for the prompt "Ahiru gets a chance to show exactly how protective she is of Fakir".

She went without fear, for they’d stolen him away, and nothing would keep her from his side.

They shouldn’t have been out on such a night, she knew it full well, but there was no taking back their actions now.

Down the eerie paths she strode, till at last she came to the hall of the King. Great and cruel he was said to be, yet not unwilling to bargain if the price was right.

The price was a life. A life for a life, he told her; such was only fair. Clearly he expected her to remain there in place of her love, but he had not known who she was and that she had lives to spare. His expression changed as she held out the gem in which one of her extracted lives glimmered, and for the first time since she’d seen the Hunt carry him away, she felt fear. Would he reject her payment?

She needn’t have feared, not so much. He offered her a new bargain: he would take her spare life, and she would walk back the way she came, with her beloved behind her. However, she could not speak to him or look back at him until the sunless lands they left, or she would lose both life and lover forever. Was this acceptable to her?

With barely a quaver in her voice, she spoke her assent, and relinquished her life. He smiled at her, and bid her go, and she turned her back to leave.

The way out was long and hard, and seemed to take so much longer than the road in. Only silence met her ears, and she did not dare speak or turn her back, even when she took her first steps back onto the green grass of home, and fell to her knees in despair, certain that she had been tricked.

But his arms around her, warmer and more real than the morning sunlight on her face, assured her that she had completed her task. She wept for joy, and when her tears calmed, he asked her why she’d done it.

Because I love you. Because I couldn’t let you go. Because I’d do anything to keep you safe and by my side.

He took her hand, and helped her stand, and they walked the rest of the way home together.


	38. Breakfast in Bed (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enchanted Worlds drabble. Written for opalescentegg on tumblr, for the prompt "Fakiru, breakfast in bed".

Breakfast in bed is a lot easier to manage when you can simply conjure food directly to your room. Little wonder, then, that it has become a tradition for them on chilly winter mornings such as this.

It’s the best part of sharing a room at long last: being able to wake up together after a night spent in each other’s arms, and enjoying private moments like this with no one to disturb them. And on lazy Sunday mornings, if they want to return to bed after they’ve sent the plates back and bathed together, they can. And usually do.


	39. Loose Lips (Ahiru)

It’s possible she had too much to drink the night before.

Ahiru barely remembers anything prior to stumbling in to lie down beside Fakir and slip her arm around him. He needed to make a deadline, so he stayed in while she went out with Rue and Mytho.

What they talked about remains a mystery… until she notices that neither of them will make eye contact with her _or_ Fakir and that some phrases make Rue suppress nervous giggles. It’s at that point that she begins to dimly remember, and blush.

But for all that she had loose lips the night before, she’s at a loss for words when Fakir asks her just what she said to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for moelskerdeg on tumblr, for the prompt "Ahiru drunkenly divulging details of her relationship/sex life with Fakir to her friends".


	40. Knowing Too Much (Rue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A follow-up to "Loose Lips".

What an awkward evening it’d been.

Rue’s used to Ahiru’s filter disappearing when she’s tipsy, but she nevertheless hadn’t been prepared to learn more than she ever wanted to know about her sex life with Fakir. There were things said she can’t forget, and she’s having trouble looking either of them in the eye today. It doesn’t help that perfectly normal phrases keep reminding her of it, and she struggles not to laugh.

It’s when Fakir makes a comment about being tied up with work the night before that she finally loses the battle and has to flee the room.


	41. Lingering Doubts (Rue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enchanted Worlds drabble. Written for opalescentegg on tumblr, for the prompt "Rue's birthday".

It felt like a lie, sometimes, to celebrate her birthday when she didn’t know when it really was. It was good to live in the castle and get presents and have people to celebrate with, but like an itch at the back of her throat that wouldn’t go away, she couldn’t shake the feeling of fraudulence.

In a moment of weakness last year she’d told Fakir, hoping he’d sneer and call her ridiculous, and that that would chase the feeling away. But he’d said he understood, that it was natural.

She wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.


	42. Little Treats (Ahiru, Fakir, Rue, Mytho)

All the adults tell them they look adorable in their Halloween costumes, and they do. Rue is dressed as a princess, Mytho as a prince, Fakir as a knight, and Ahiru as a duck. Together, they set out to get some candy from all the houses in Gold Crown (once their doting parents have all taken pictures, of course).

Ahiru’s so clumsy and prone to tripping that before they leave Fakir is instructed to hold her hand so she doesn’t fall and get hurt. She tries to protest that she can walk on her own, but eventually gives in because she secretly likes it. She doesn’t know that he likes it too, and doesn’t see his blush in the dark, but it’s obvious to everyone else that the two children have little crushes on each other.

She thinks of him as her knight in shining armor, and he feels that she’s sweeter than all the candy they receive. They don’t say so now, of course, but there’s time enough for that later. Years from now, when they’re asked how they met, they’ll smile and tell people that they were childhood sweethearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modern AU of sorts. Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt "the main four go trick-or-treating together".


	43. Helping Hand (Ahiru, Fakir)

He’s usually the one helping her with homework, not the other way around. But Ahiru knows more about ducks than Fakir does, so she readily agreed to assist him with his report for biology class. The fact that it’s more time she gets to spend with him is just a bonus – yes, she’s had a crush on him for years, ever since they were little, but this isn’t about that, it’s about helping her best friend when he needs it.

Still, it doesn’t stop her heart from racing when his hand brushes hers, or when he smiles and thanks her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More modern AU of sorts. Written for kat2kool on tumblr, for the prompt "Ahiru gets to help Fakir with his homework for a change".


	44. Schemes (Uzura, Mr. Cat)

Uzura knows that big sister Ahiru and big brother Fakir are lovey-dovey-zura; everyone does, really, except for them. So she decides that they need help. She goes to Mr. Katz, because he lives next door to her and her mama and he teaches at the school they go to.

He listens to her and agrees to seat them together when class starts up again after the break, but he won’t plant a fake love letter, insisting that they have to get things going themselves. She pouts at that, so he gives her a long-winded explanation about love and marriage and the right and natural way of doing things, and she doesn’t really get it but thinks she does, and agrees.

It takes a while, but after some time passes she catches the two of them kissing behind a tree, and runs off to tell everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet more modern AU of sorts. Written for kat2kool on tumblr for the prompt "Uzura and Mr. Cat team up to play matchmaker".


	45. Lost in the Flames (Edel)

Wood, paint, strings, and an incomplete heart. No longer what she is, they are what she _was_. Soon enough all that will be left of her are ashes and embers, and memories in the human hearts of others. She won’t be forgotten, at least.

Was it worth it? To feel like one of them for what amounts to an all-too-brief moment in the grand scheme of things?

She looks at the boy whose life she saved, at Ahiru dancing with the prince, and somewhere in the flickering flames a smile seems to shine, for just a second.

Yes. It was.


	46. Smooth Transitions (Ahiru, Fakir)

Although she’d gotten used to sleeping in his room – sometimes even on his bed – while she was a duck, Ahiru nevertheless assumed it would be a little weird the first time they spent the night together as humans.

It wasn’t. Rather than awkward, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to fall asleep in Fakir’s arms, and she drifted off more quickly into the most contented sleep of her life thus far. When she woke the next morning and saw his smile, she decided she didn’t want any other sleeping arrangements for the rest of their lives.


	47. Expressions (Ahiru, Fakir)

They say the words aloud often enough, of course. They like the sound of them. But they also say them silently, a million other ways. Through dance, through glances, with simple but meaningful gestures, sometimes just in the way they hold each other. There are countless intimate things they do together to express their love.

He translates his feelings into words on a page; she crafts things with her hands that never turn out perfect except in his eyes. They bandage all the wounds that the rest of the world never sees.

And they never doubt that this is forever.


	48. Withered Flowers (Freya)

She doesn’t consciously recall him, but when she dances certain roles, she brings an air of authenticity to the part of a spurned and lovelorn girl that few can match. Everyone praises her, but even Freya herself doesn’t completely understand where it comes from. There’s been no one that stole her heart or broke it; she concerns herself only with her flowers and her dancing, cultivating few friendships and no lovers, not yet. She doesn’t know the sting of unrequited love.

The strange feelings persist, however, and despite their undeniable usefulness for her craft, she can’t help but be unsettled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Withered flowers symbolize "rejected love" in the language of flowers.


	49. Another Story (Ahiru, Rue)

Echoes of Drosselmeyer’s story play out in other ways, in other versions of the world.

In one of them, “Kraehe” never awakens. Rue chooses Ahiru, and they work together for the sake of the prince, but it’s purely altruistic. He defeats the raven and returns to the storybook alone, while the girls remain in Gold Crown. Together.

Drosselmeyer doesn’t understand it. There aren’t supposed to be two princesses, not like this! This isn’t how the story goes! There wasn’t even supposed to be a happy ending, much less one like this!

Locked away in his clockwork realm, he rages impotently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for CJWriterGal on tumblr, for the prompt "Ahiru/Rue. “Drossylmeyer said a prince didn’t need two princesses, but the truth was that two princesses didn’t need a prince.”


	50. Steady Light (Lamp Spirit)

When the girl who’d rescued her from the catacombs didn’t come back to her room, she thought for sure she’d been forgotten and abandoned again. It hurt all the more because she didn’t understand it.

But then a boy she didn’t recognize came and took her to his house, and she saw the small duckling who lived with him now. She recognized her immediately, though neither could speak in a way the other understood.  She didn’t need words to know she hadn’t been forgotten, though, and silently rejoiced that she now had _two_ people to shine for. That was enough.


	51. Hidden Yearnings (Ahiru)

The slightest casual touch is enough to ignite her feelings, to say nothing of when he does things like catch her when she trips. Her face warms and her heart pounds and she thinks things about him in private moments that she never did about Mytho. She wonders how long her desire for him was buried, how long was she oblivious?

More importantly, how long can it stay hidden from Fakir? What will happen when he finally notices? She doesn’t want to make things awkward between them.

But if she were truly paying attention, she’d know the feelings were mutual


	52. Gentle Hands (Ahiru, Fakir)

Fakir’s hands are magic.

They used to be such violent things, striking out with swords or shards of glass, intended for destruction. But now he uses them to create, a task far harder but also more rewarding. He controls the power they contain.

And when he touches her face, her body, with them, they’re so gentle. Gone is the old harshness – his desire now is to bring her pleasure, not pain. Being in his arms makes her feel many things, and safe is one of them. Loved is another.

She owes much to those hands, and will never forget it.


	53. Hair Care (Fakir, Ahiru)

Fakir’s lost count of how many times Charon and Raetsel have nagged at him to cut his hair. At first, it was mere stubbornness and a general lack of interest in his own appearance that led him to avoid anything more than the occasional trim.

But now that he knows what it feels like to have Ahiru’s fingers running through his hair – particularly when they’re entwined in bed – he has even more of a reason to refuse to ever cut it all off. Her shy compliments feel good, but her touch feels even better. Why would he give that up?


	54. Vows (Ahiru, Fakir)

They write their vows together. She tries to demur, since he’s the writer, not her, but he insists she have input, because this is something they’re both entering into as partners, so it should be a collaboration.

It’s a lot of work, but they eventually come up with something they both agree is perfect. At the heart of it is a reaffirmation of his promise in the lake to stay by her side forever, and this time they’ll both say it. After all, nothing else holds as much weight, sums up their intentions to each other, like those words do.


	55. No Such Luxury (Raetsel)

She remembers what she did. Other people forgot things from back then, but she was one of the few spared the amnesia. The shame and guilt of the knowledge burn at her, and she supposes that having to remember the pain she caused is a fair punishment for her actions.

At first, she compounds her crimes by trying to feign ignorance, but it can’t last long, and she eventually betrays herself. She apologizes to Fakir then, awkwardly and uncharacteristically serious, and he just as awkwardly says that he’s forgiven her already.

She only wishes she could forgive herself as easily.


	56. Better than Princes (Ahiru, Fakir)

They’re lying on a blanket together under the stars, their hands joined, when he speaks. “Do you ever wonder –” He stops, and she waits for him to finish. “Do you ever wonder… what your life would be like if – if he’d chosen differently?” He dares a glance at her, and her heart aches at the look in his eyes. “If you were a princess now?”

She shakes her head and smiles, and reaches out to gently touch his cheek. “Who needs a prince when I have you?”

It’s all she needs to say, and all he needs to hear.


	57. Halloween Treats (Ahiru, Fakir)

Ahiru normally doesn’t like ghost stories, especially the way Pike and Lilie tell them, and particularly after the incident with the Ghost Knight. But Fakir writes her stories about friendly ghosts, that aren’t so scary, and reads them to her in his lovely voice while they snuggle on the bed, and she likes that.

Halloween hasn’t really caught on in Gold Crown, so they have a quiet evening at home. She likes the cute trappings and candy, but not really scary stuff, so it’s more about having a nice meal and hearing Fakir’s stories. That’s the best treat of all.


	58. How It's Supposed to Be (Ahiru, Fakir)

Ahiru doesn’t like to sleep facing the window, because she’s still afraid she’ll wake up and see Drosselmeyer’s face there. Fakir doesn’t argue, just accommodates her because he understands. There’s reasons he always has to hold her while they sleep, after all.

Sometimes she lies awake at night, just listening to him breathe and feeling his arms around her, thinking about how they really did write their own story. They defied fate more than once, and found happiness _and_ glory. That should be against the rules, but she knows better.

She knows that this is how it’s supposed to be.


	59. Amnesia (Ahiru, Fakir)

Bit by bit, they begin to forget.

It happens slowly, because they were too closely tied to the story to lose everything immediately as the others did, but it happens nevertheless. She loses all memory that she was ever more than a mere duck, he the knowledge of what they did and who she really is.

They stay together, just as he promised her beneath the lake they still visit, but as pet and owner, all the time unaware of their history and what they once meant to each other. And that’s how their story ends: in silence and ignorance.


	60. Faded Memories (Ahiru, Fakir)

Ahiru’s memory fades.

It happens slowly, which is much worse than if it had gone all at once. During moments of lucidity, she’s scared, but doesn’t know how to communicate this to Fakir, doesn’t know how to tell him what’s happening, even if he could understand her quacks. By the time he realizes what’s happened, it’s too late, and he’s not sure if it’s right to use his power to meddle with her mind, not sure if she’d want that. So he does nothing.

But it hurts. It hurts so much. He mourns her. He cries until he has no more tears left, feeling like the pain in his heart will never go away, succumbing more and more every day to the grief. He loves her so much and now she’s lost to him, _really_ lost, in a way that she wasn’t when she was a duck who remembered the both of them. Nothing has ever hurt like this.

He keeps her with him, though, doesn’t set her free at the lake. Because her lack of memory doesn’t change the fact that to him she’s still _Ahiru_ , always will be, and he made Ahiru a promise: to stay by her side forever. He can’t take back those words, and never would, even now.

So he stays, and cares for her, and misses her, and she never knows.


	61. Everything (Ahiru, Fakir)

They were supposed to end up with nothing. He was meant to die, torn in two by the Raven's claws; she was fated to disappear the moment she spoke words of love to the prince. The story intended for them both to vanish, to fail.

But they defied their fates, refused to be controlled by the story. He lived, and cast aside his sword; she spoke not in words but dance. They worked together, combining their powers to save the prince and the town, and they succeeded. They survived. And because of that they have everything.

They have each other.


	62. Keeping Warm (Ebine)

Once upon a time, warm food was a distant memory, a phantom limb. It seemed appropriate that everything she cooked was cold, for that's how the world felt without him: cold, right down to the bone. 

She still misses him, still feels the ache of loneliness at night after she's closed down for the day. But the warmth of happy customers helps, as do the memories she holds close to her heart, the heart that's now free of the thing that both pained and comforted it. 

She'll never see him again, but she swears that sometimes she hears him laugh.


	63. Competition (Ahiru, Fakir, Mytho, Rue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for friendlybrarian on tumblr for the prompt "Mytho, Rue, Fakir, and Ahiru at a slumber party (your call on why/who's hosting it/who's an established couple - go crazy). Last slice of pizza. Who gets it? (Maybe there'll be a ballet battle for it XD)"

“You know, technically, you’re not supposed to feed human food to ducks,” Rue said as she eyed the final slice.

“Pfftt.” Ahiru stuck her tongue out at her. “But… I’m not really that hungry anyway. Someone else can have it.”

“ _I_ didn’t even know what good food tasted like until I got my heart back.” Siegfried turned his most imploring look on Ahiru. “Remember? The restaurant with the cold food?”

“H-hey, you don’t get to try and turn her to _your_ side,” Fakir protested. He turned to her. “Ahiru -“

“Why do I have to be the judge? Leave me out of it.” Ahiru flopped back in her seat.

Nobody noticed that Rue had used the distraction to her advantage until it was too late.


	64. Forgiveness (Fakir)

Fakir hasn't forgotten the person he once was.

Ahiru's forgiven him by now, he knows because she's told him, several times over, but he doesn't know if he can ever manage to do the same. How can the things he's done ever be forgiven? He doesn't understand. He stumbled over awkward apologies to Mytho before he left, barely able to look him in the eye, and received forgiveness from him too. He's still not sure if he deserved it from either of them.

But because it'll make Ahiru happy - the thing he wants most these days - he'll try.


	65. Endings (Ahiru, Fakir)

They get old.

He acquires a reputation for eccentricity early on, and the words attached to it change as the years pass. He never marries, and claims that the duck he keeps is always the same one; unkind rumors circulate, but he's regarded as harmless, so nothing happens.

Still, the years take their toll, and nothing lasts forever. It happens on a trip to the lake - he sits in his familiar chair, she on his lap, and neither one gets up after that. When they're found, all agree that it seems a fitting place for their story to end.


	66. Denial (Rue)

They haunt her: half-formed fragments of memory, like wisps of a dream lost to the morning sun. She wants to close her ears, but she can still hear them. She tries to close her eyes, but they play out against her eyelids. A name. An identity. Buried feelings. Why won’t they go away? She’s Rue. She wants to be Rue. She wants to keep being Rue, to dance with Mytho and maybe try being friends with Ahiru. She’s not – she won’t even let herself say that name, because it’s not real, it doesn’t belong to her. It doesn’t exist. If she can just ignore these things, they’ll leave her in peace.

She has to believe that. She doesn’t know what she’ll do if she can’t.


	67. Travels (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "traveling the world".

Piece by piece they traverse the globe. No trip is purely for research or pleasure or even work (the odd convention); all three are always included. Because Fakir is forever noting things down in his mind for stories whether he means to or not, and while he’s doing so he and Ahiru can’t help but enjoy themselves because they’re together. That’s the most important part of this: that their travels are done side by side, rather than alone. The world is a huge place, and scary sometimes, but they are brave together, and never lonely because they have one another.


	68. Stories (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "crossover with another anime of your choosing"; anime/manga chosen is Fruits Basket.

Strange people with strange stories seem drawn to them; today it’s a young man from Japan, half-German, who tells them a tale about a family with a generations-old curse upon some of its members. The curse caused them to transform into animals from the Chinese zodiac when embraced by someone of a different gender, and it caused them much pain over the years. Ahiru is fascinated, especially when he says that it was love that ended up breaking the curse. Fakir wants to know why he’s telling them this story, and he shrugs and says that he sensed he’d found people who would believe it and not just dismiss it as a fairy tale.

Which prompts them to tell him a story of their own, also involving animal transformations.


	69. High Seas (Ahiru, Fakir, Rue, Mytho)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user tohrurose, for the prompt "Tutu pirates!"

What Ahiru had thought was a merchant ship was actually a pirate vessel, something she learned too late after stowing away. She feared for her life, but the captain, a raven-haired woman not much older than herself, decided to spare her on the condition that she become her maid aboard the ship. She agreed, and soon settled into her odd new life. She learned more about the captain, about the foreign prince she carried on a star-crossed romance with, and especially about the first mate, who kept logs of their adventures in story form, and who seemed as drawn to her as she was to him.


	70. Friendship in Bloom (Ahiru, Rue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user reisempai, for the prompt "How about some Ahiru/Rue springtime friendship?"

Spring is Ahiru’s favorite season, and Rue is happy to indulge her. They pick flowers and make garlands for each other’s heads; they coo over ducklings at the lake after enjoying a picnic in the sun; they take walks and admire the returned greenery all around them.

Ahiru loves all seasons, really, but as a duckling at heart, she seems best suited for spring and its gentle beauty. Rue is more inclined towards the winter, preferring the cold and snow, but all the same it’s hard to resist Ahiru’s enthusiasm as she drags her out for countless excursions between friends.


	71. Alliance (Rue, Mytho)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "1920s".

She’d come to him not with tears in her eyes but steel, promising that she would reward him in any way she could if he helped her find her real parents and take down the cruel mob boss who’d kidnapped her as a child. It was only later that he learned of her vulnerable side, shedding tears over him in the wake of a shoot-out that had nearly claimed his life and not caring about the blood on her dress, and by then he had become all too vulnerable to her and her charms. When all was said and done, he asked for no payment save for the privilege of seeing her again sometime; her smile indicated that they would be seeing much, much more of each other for some time to come.


	72. Tails (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "mermaids".

Ahiru had read The Little Mermaid, of course, but hadn’t given much thought to mermen until she happened upon one at the secluded cove one misty day. She apologized for startling him and assured him she meant him no harm, and got him to tell her his name: Fakir. They spoke for hours, and agreed to meet again sometime; after many more such meetings, he hesitantly told her of a way she could see his world beneath the waves, but warned her that it was a permanent transformation and she would have to give up her life on land.

She took his hand, and he said the words, and never again was she seen by any who walked on two feet, for she had chosen happiness within the sea.


	73. Ripples (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "time travel".

Seeing to it that a mislaid letter was delivered to its intended recipient five years prior seemed like a simple enough assignment, and so Ahiru completed it without much difficulty. She only later learned of the lives it saved and the outward ripples it caused in time, and was thankful she’d managed not to bungle it up.

Especially when, as fate would have it, one of the lives saved turned out to be that of the young man meant to be her new partner at the agency. The more she and Fakir got to know each other, the more glad she was that he was here with her, and that she’d made it possible.


	74. Scales and Tales (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "dragons".

How she’d wound up in a dragon’s cave after fleeing her wicked uncle, Ahiru couldn’t think; but it did seem like something only she’d manage. Luckily, the dragon was uninterested in eating her, and agreed to let her stay there, under his protection, in exchange for her helping him with something. That the something seemed to involve magic lessons seemed strange, until one day the standoffish - yet secretly kind-hearted - dragon admitted to having once been a _human_ magician, whose spells went wrong and resulted in this form, and thus he hid himself away from society and attempted fruitlessly to solve the problem. Hearing his story, she was happy to help, and by the time they succeeded neither one had any desire to part ways ever again.


	75. Under the Stars (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "summer camp".

They’re up late after the children in their charge have all fallen asleep, stomachs full of s’mores and heads full of scary stories, when it happens. The campfire is burning low, and the stars are out, and they’re sitting away from the kids on the shore of the lake.

It starts with him taking her hand in his while talking about the constellations - and he’s thinking about how her freckles are like little stars on her pretty face, and she’s thinking about how handsome he looks in the moonlight - and then they’re leaning towards each other, and they kiss, and blush, and… it isn’t really an ending, but more of a beginning.


	76. Eternity (Fakir, Ahiru)

He's no artist, except with words, and so he uses those words to create portraits of her in ink that will endure beyond their lifetimes. Each one is different in its own way, yet all capture some part of her essence, her spirit, everything that is Ahiru. He hopes he can convey through his tales even a fraction of the wonder and love he feels when he looks at her, that those who read them will feel those same emotions stir in their hearts.

The few people that remember what she did are mortal. But his stories will live forever.


	77. Sleepover (Ahiru, Rue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user alchemypotato, for the prompt "Rue/Ahiru modern day AU sleepover with anime watching."

Ahiru sings along badly to the theme songs, and covers her eyes during any scary or violent parts. Rue gently teases her, but doesn’t try to make her watch stuff she doesn’t want to. They fill up on snacks and Ahiru lounges a million different ways on the bed, hugging pillows to herself. At some point she falls asleep, not out of boredom but exhaustion, and Rue quickly notices that her friend isn’t chattering anymore, so she carefully arranges her so she’ll be more comfortable, and pulls a blanket over her, and reads for a while before turning in herself.


	78. On the Road (Ahiru, Fakir, Rue, Mytho)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user innokaskaali, for the prompt "how about the main four backpacking through europe InterRail-style? Because trains. :)))"

Fakir ends up planning most of their trip, partly by choice and partly because the others really don’t know what they’re doing anyway. Ahiru gets plenty of input, though, naturally, and so they’re off. On the trains, Mytho and Rue take turns getting the window seat, but Fakir always lets Ahiru sit there. He’d rather see her enjoy it, after all.

Things don’t always go smoothly, and they have their share of minor disasters. But in the end they all have fun, and grow closer, and that’s the most important thing. The memories created are worth all the money spent.


	79. Love and Law (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user suedeuxnim, for the prompt "Ace Attorney Princess Tutu AU shenanigan?"

He hadn’t been at all sure he needed an assistant; sure, he was an inexperienced lawyer, but what help could a clumsy, featherbrained girl without a law degree provide him? She soon proved herself, though, when she used the pendant around her neck to transform into some sort of otherworldly being who coaxed confessions and information out of reticent witnesses, and after that Ahiru was an invaluable part of Fakir’s strategy.

And before too long, they would become invaluable parts of each others’ lives, as love blossomed during late nights and early mornings, and their partnership extended beyond the office.


	80. Elements (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user iwouldwalk500giles, for the prompt "Fakiru, a:tla Au"

They meet at Iroh’s teahouse; she works there, he’s a struggling writer who just wants some tea. She’s lived in Ba Sing Se all her life, while he recently moved there. He tells her about his parents, a waterbender and an earthbender, and how he got neither ability. She’s not a bender either, but dreams of dancing or acting, perhaps with the Ember Island Players. After some months of getting to know each other, he shyly asks her to star in a play he’s written for her. She enthusiastically agrees, and so they begin to truly chase their dreams, together.


	81. Date Night (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for an anonymous tumblr request, for the prompt "50's Fakiru AU at the drive-through."

Ahiru’s so jittery that she ends up spilling her popcorn all over Fakir’s car, and she can’t apologize enough. To her surprise, he’s not as annoyed as she thought he’d be, and tells her to just relax. It’s hard, though, because she’s just so excited to be here with him. She was shocked when he asked her out, but also happy, because she’d been crushing on him for ages.

Afterwards, she doesn’t remember much of the movie, both because of nerves, but also because he started holding her hand partway through, which eventually turned to kissing in the darkened car.


	82. Mysteries (Ahiru, Fakir, Rue, Mytho)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user iwouldwalk500giles, for the prompt "Some sort of noir au?"

Investigating the murder of visiting royalty had turned into, well, a royal mess, particularly when the prince turned out to be alive after all in a bizarre chain of events. And at his insistence, immunity had been granted for the daughter of the mobster responsible for the whole thing, whom the prince had inexplicably fallen for and wanted to take back to his country.

It was weird. All of it. But Ahiru had herself fallen for the prince’s handsome best friend, and now the four of them were on their way back to his homeland, and she didn’t have to struggle to keep her detective business afloat. So she really couldn’t complain, in the end.


	83. Reunion (Ahiru, Fakir, Rue, Mytho)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user cjwritergal, for the prompt "Okay, here's a PT fanfic prompt: Fakir and Ahiru visiting Mytho and Rue for the first time since the finale."

It’s a little bit awkward at first; Fakir doesn’t feel entirely comfortable being around people who knew the character he’s a reincarnation of, and he’s not sure at first how to explain Ahiru being human again, what their old friends will think of them. But while there’s definitely some strangeness to be had with the first of his worries, there proves to have been no need to fret about Rue and Mytho’s reaction to Ahiru. Rue is just so happy to be able to talk to her friend, and Mytho expresses his approval as well, saying that Ahiru deserves to be rewarded for all she did, and that after what she did for him specifically, he’d have done it himself had he the ability.

There’s so much for them all to discuss, and they stay up into the wee hours of the morning doing just that. When Fakir and Ahiru finally leave, it’s with promises made on both ends, for more such visits, and for visits to Gold Crown as well.


	84. Adventures (Fakir, Ahiru, Mytho)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakir and Mytho (bros, strangers, acquaintances, whatever), Adventure Time!"

To Fakir, “just another day” usually means “just another foiled kidnapping attempt by the Ice Queen”. She’s constantly after his liege, the Swan Prince, to the point where it’s practically routine. It means little boredom, but still – it’s a relief when Mytho marries the Raven Princess and the Queen backs off. Finally, some quiet.

But it also means an end to their adventures together, so he’s a little lonely at first. Until the Duck Princess wanders in one day, asking for a brave knight to help her on her quest. Life gets a lot more interesting – and happy – after that.


	85. Moving In (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Ahiru and Fakir moving into a new place?"

It isn’t a palace; nowhere near. They can’t afford anything big. But it’s theirs, and it’s comfy and cozy, so Ahiru loves it, she can’t wait to add their personal touches. She’s surprised when Fakir awkwardly apologizes for not being able to give her somewhere grand, and assures him she’d rather be here, that royal life wouldn’t suit her, because when would she get to be truly alone with him? At heart, she’s still a duck, and all she wants is a little nest to call their own. Love is what makes a home, and they have plenty of that.


	86. Expecting (Rue, Mytho)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user thewhorewiththewebsite, for the prompt "mytho/rue pregnancy pretty please?"

He frets over her, forgetting that she is a ballerina, that she endured years of being fed the Raven’s blood, she is strong enough to handle this.

Or so she thinks. When she finally snaps at him to remember these things, he says that he hasn’t forgotten them, he simply worries because he doesn’t want to lose her. This life they’ve created, that she nurtures in her body, it means a great deal to him, but he still loves her most of all, and always will.

She understands, but still asks him to trust in her strength. So he does.


	87. An Unusual Meeting (Fakir, Ahiru)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crossover with Fullmetal Alchemist. Written for tumblr user reisempai, for the prompt "You know that piece of fanart where Alphonse and Ahiru are hanging out together? Write me a drabble about how they interact with one another (and what Fakir/Ed/whoever else has to say about it)."

The bond is instantaneous; they’re both sweet and gentle souls, after all, with a mutual fondness for small animals, and could win over the grumpiest people. All is well until Ed happens to make a disparaging remark about Ahiru’s intelligence, which Fakir takes exception to, and the two are soon at odds. Ed doesn’t understand the difference between what he said and Fakir affectionately calling her “idiot”, and Fakir doesn’t take kindly to anyone genuinely insulting Ahiru, and soon Al is once again soothing ruffled feathers and apologizing for his brother after calming everyone down and separating the arguing boys.


	88. Time and Space (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crossover with Doctor Who. Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt " Howzabout a Doctor Who crossover then, with Nine naturally~?"

The awed reaction to the TARDIS is pretty much what the Doctor expected. But when they don’t bat an eye at the fact that he’s an alien, well, that he wasn’t expecting. After that, it’s his turn to be surprised, when they explain about their town’s history and the fact that the girl used to be a duck and the boy can rewrite reality. He’s almost not sure he’s landed back on Earth, but the TARDIS confirms that he has.

They’re reluctant to come along full-time, but eventually agree to one adventure, which he assures them will definitely be fantastic.


	89. Games (Fakir, Mytho, Raetsel)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user alchemypotato, for the prompt "Fakir and Mytho playing catch with a ball."

Charon’s sick of having the boys underfoot while he works, so he sends them outside to play. Mytho doesn’t know what to do, though, and Fakir’s never been much for outdoor play, so they’re at a loss until Raetsel tries to help by showing them how to play catch with a toy ball. It gets off to a rough start, and then seems to be progressing okay, and then Mytho runs into the street after the ball and nearly gets trampled by a passing elephant. He’s fine, but Fakir is upset, Raetsel is shaken, and the game is definitely over.


	90. Shards (Ahiru)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crossover/AU with Fullmetal Alchemist. Written for tumblr user kickingandpumpkins, for the prompt "AU where Mytho's heart is a Philosopher's Stone that shatters into seven pieces and becomes the seven Homunculi. Duck dances all of them into emotional calm."

One by one, she finds them and soothes them; their anger, their hunger, their jealousy, everything that makes them who they are is calmed enough to rejoin them all together into one heart. Some lash out at her with violence at first, others are more receptive to her efforts - Greed is the easiest, admitting to only wanting friends before being assured that he will have plenty of them after she does this. One by one they are linked again, and become not fragments, but parts of a whole, restoring the prince to how he should be, imperfections and all.


	91. Routine Check-Up (Ahiru, Fakir)

Until he’d met Ahiru, Fakir hadn’t actually been aware that ducks could, in fact, blush. Maybe it was only her, though, since she was an unusual duck in many ways; he wasn’t sure. He’d seen it happen a couple times during the story, both times before he’d been aware of her dual identity.

And now he was seeing it again, as he gently explained that this was necessary to check her state of nutrition.

Or he would’ve been, if he hadn’t been averting his eyes out of mortification, with a blush of his own that felt dangerously like spontaneous combustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user moelskerdeg, for the prompt "OKAY so Fakir, for some reason needs to check Ahiru's state of nutrition. I kindly request the awkwardness that ensues. :3" (Something which, with ducks, requires feeling the breast area.)


	92. Blurred Visions (Miss Goatette)

She thinks of him as if recalling something from a dream - telling her that they were fundamentally incompatible, because they're too different. Yet his face is blurred in her memory, as if seen in a fogged-up mirror. Who was he? An ex-boyfriend? Someone for whom she felt unrequited love? She can't recall, and she doesn't dare ask anyone else for fear of what unkind remarks they'll make about her mental state.

She knows he exists, or did, once upon a time. She can't find him, though, and doesn't remember his name.

Maybe it's for the best, in the end.


	93. Walls (Rue)

The lie tastes bitter as she walks away. Whatever she told Ahiru, deep down Rue knows it _does_ matter. That’s why she almost consulted the bridge in the first place.

Why change her mind?

Fear.

Not that she can admit that. Showing weakness is…

… why is it a bad idea? There’re… consequences for it, aren’t there? Showing fear and reluctance will…

… she can’t remember what will happen, or why, who she mustn’t show these things to. If she tries to remember, her head hurts. So she tries hard to be strong in front of everyone.

Just in case.


	94. Nighttime Reading (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for CJWriterGal, for the prompt "Fakiru, nighttime reading."

Reading aloud to her from books was one thing, but when it came to reading her his own stories Fakir had, at first, been shy and reluctant. Not because he minded letting her read his work, but because he hated the sound of his own words being spoken aloud like that.

Or he did, until he agreed to let Ahiru read them aloud back to him. She turned out to have a real gift for it, finding emotion and nuance and meanings that he hadn’t even realized he’d written into things, and made his stories come alive and feel new to him despite that he’d written them.

After that they took turns reading to each other at night, but he unabashedly preferred the evenings when she read to him, no matter what it was she read.


	95. New Things (Ahiru)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enchanted Worlds drabble. Written for CJWriterGal for the prompt "Chrestomanci series. Ahriu travels to one of the other worlds."

Even though she knew this particular world was in a series undergoing an Ice Age, the cold had still taken Ahiru by surprise. She hadn’t quite realized the temperature could feel this frigid. Even so, it didn’t dampen her enthusiasm or curiosity, and she set to absorbing everything she could about it. She built a duck out of snow, tried all the foods and drinks her stomach could hold, sniffed and touched every unfamiliar plant, and asked so many questions it made the residents’ heads spin as they tried to keep up with her and answer everything.

Her souvenirs weren’t tangible objects, but memories and new knowledge, and that meant just as much to her.


	96. Simple Pleasures (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user kat2kool, for the prompt "Fakiru playing in leaves during fall".

His knee-jerk reaction was to be annoyed that he’d have to redo his hard work raking all those leaves. But one look at the childlike joy on Ahiru’s face wiped that away like it’d never been there. He remembered that unlike him, unlike almost everyone they knew, she’d never had a childhood where she’d gotten to do such things. There were so many human experiences she’d never had, some she never _would_ have - how could he possibly have the heart to deprive her of one and get angry at her, how could he bear to discourage her and see that sweet, happy face fall?

So instead, he cracked one of his rare (though becoming considerably more common, especially in her company) smiles, and jumped in beside her.


	97. Sowing Happiness (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user kat2kool for the prompt "Fakiru: planting a garden".

Neither of them have ever planted things before; Ahiru because she used to be a duck, Fakir because he’s never been an outdoorsy person at all. But growing their own vegetables will help them cut down on food costs, and Ahiru is enthusiastic about turning the seedlings and bulbs she got from Freya into a beautiful little patch of flowers. So one Saturday morning they set about weeding and digging and planting. They get dirt all over them, which is fun to clean off afterwards, and it’s hard and hot and tiring work.

But it’s all worth it for the joy on her face when their efforts turn out to be successful.


	98. New Pages (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user kat2kool, for the prompt "Fakiru: opening a new bookstore together".

Ahiru deals with most of their customers, while Fakir handles behind the scenes stuff like stocking and accounting and whatnot. It suits them both and is beneficial for their business: he’s not as abrasive as he used to be, but there’s no denying that her bubbly, cheerful nature is better for customer service. She’s also extraordinarily good at helping people select the right book for them. Her perceptiveness and willingness to listen to people are a great aid in that. They do sometimes get the rude customer who upsets her, though, and that’s where Fakir comes in to provide much-needed support. The customer isn’t always right, especially when they hurt Ahiru.

Overall, though, things go well, and they’re both happy.


	99. Proposal (Ahiru, Fakir)

He fumbles over broaching the subject, his voice shaking and catching, but she quickly understands what he's getting at and asks, in an equally tremulous voice, for confirmation of her suspicions, just to make sure. He tells her yes, he wants to truly remain by her side forever… does she want the same thing?

Her answer comes in a flurry of tears and arms flung around him, babbling through her happy crying that of course she does, how could she not, as she presses herself close. He holds her tightly and doesn't try to hold back his own joyful tears.


	100. Averted Fate (Ahiru, Fakir)

Ahiru awakes in the middle of the night without knowing why. Lying there in the dark, curled up against Fakir's chest with his deep, even breathing in her ear, she finds herself remembering something she said years ago.

"I am fated never to be with the one I love, just like you."

It was true then, for at that time she loved someone she could never have. But she defied her fate in so many ways, and one of them was falling in love with someone unexpected, someone she _is_ able to be with.

It really is a wonderful twist.


	101. Aging Gracefully (Fakir, Ahiru)

Fakir doesn't complain about having to wear glasses, not really; they're a hassle to clean, true, but the usual complaints others have don't concern him. He's never cared enough about his appearance to be bothered by this change in it, and getting older doesn't scare him either. After all, it's something he grew up thinking he wouldn't get to do, so he's appreciated the chance to enjoy all these extra days and years.

Besides, the first time he puts them on he realizes that he can now see Ahiru's smile much more clearly. And that makes it all worth it.


	102. To Be Happy (Fakir, Ahiru)

Happiness, he's learned, is in the little things. The motion of her hands as she knits or kneads bread, the sound of her laughter, her smile. Holding her or being held. The comfortable quiet that settles over them when they're relaxing together. Too many things to count, really.

Happiness is a thing he's learned to feel, that didn't come naturally for so long. But she's brought so much of it, and enabled him to find it in other ways too. He'll never be the bright, cheery person she is, but he doesn't need to be. Just feeling it is enough.


	103. What Matters Most (Ahiru, Fakir)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Acts as a follow-up of sorts to my fic A Good Outcome, in which Ahiru and Fakir come out to each other as bisexual.

Fakir’s told her by now about the unkind things others think about people like them. For example, how some would caution them against trusting each other to be faithful. She thinks that’s ridiculous and cruel, she knows he’s not like that and he knows she isn’t either. They have nothing _but_ trust in each other, so much of it. This common ground _bonds_ them, bolsters the already strong foundation their relationship is built on. They could fall for so many people, but they choose each other, they love each other. And that love is all that matters in the end.


	104. Equal (Ahiru, Fakir)

People look at them and assume he takes care of her; that’s only half true. He _does_ take care of her, but she also takes care of him. He’s no more immune to illness or injury than she is, after all, and sometimes he forgets to eat when he’s writing, so she needs to bring him things. And his hand hurts him sometimes, or his shoulders, so she gives him massages to ease the pain. It’s never been a one-sided arrangement and never will be. This is a partnership, a team, a _dance_ , and they’ve never once lost their balance.


	105. Laughter (Fakir, Ahiru)

He's not good at telling jokes or being funny, and never has been. It isn't that he lacks a sense of humor, he just has a hard time expressing it in ways that make others laugh too. Even then, people have told him his sense of humor is odd, so he hasn't tried in ages.

But he tries with Ahiru. He tries different ways of making her laugh, and they usually work, and it makes him feel good enough to keep trying. Because her little giggle is music to his ears, not just the sound, but the happiness it represents.


	106. Self-Portrait (Ahiru, Fakir)

She told him beforehand to try and smile, and he said he would, but he’s not sure if he’ll manage it in the end, he always feels so self-conscious in front of a camera as it is.

But then she makes a duck face, and he sees, and he can’t help laughing, he never can when she’s being so cute. She giggles too, because to her his laugh is so warm and infectious, and he hits the button by accident, and the camera captures that moment forever – captures them being so genuine and happy with each other.

And it remains one of their favorite pictures of themselves for years and years to come.


	107. Nowhere Else But Here (Ahiru, Fakir)

Even now, years later, she still sometimes catches him staring at her with such _wonder_ , as though he can hardly believe his luck in getting to be with her like this. It happens over the smallest things, like a shared breakfast on a quiet morning, or while she's knitting by the fire at night, and the love in his eyes when she meets them takes her breath away.

 _I still can't believe you're real. I still can't believe you want to be here._ His voice shakes as he says it. Hers trembles too, as she tells him the same thing she always does.

_There's nowhere else I'd rather be._


	108. Warm (Ahiru, Fakir)

On the first truly cold day of autumn, he comes home from school to find his neatly made bed not so neat anymore. The small lump huddled under the blankets is to blame, of course, and his mouth twitches into a smile as he stands at the doorway and stares. After a minute or so, though, he walks over and sits down beside her. She quacks feebly in protest when he pulls her out of her hiding spot, but quiets as he enfolds her in his arms and holds her close.

After all, it’s always been warm in Fakir’s arms.


End file.
